Cotton-picking apparatus receptacle and means for directing cotton thereinto



July 3, c R HAGEN r COTTON-PICKING APPARATUS RECEPTACLE AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING COTTON THEREINTO Original Filed June 29, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 C. R. HAGEN ET AL COTTON-PICKING APPARATUS RECEPTACLE AND MEANS July 3, 1951 FOR DIRECTING COTTON THEREINTO Original Filed June 29, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS: Zarerzaefiflagerz y 1951 c. R. HAGEN ETAL 2,558,951

COTTON-PICKING APPARATUS RECEPTACLE' AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING COTTON THEREINTO Original Filed June 29, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTORS: (fiarezzc'e fi Hagezz Patented July 3, 1951 4 2,558,951 OFF ICE COTTON -PICKING APPARATUS RECEP- TACLE AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING COTTON THEREINTO Clarence R. Hagen, Memphis, Tenn., and David B. Baker, Riverside, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Substituted for application Serial No. 542,774, June 29, 1944. This application February 12,

1948, Serial No. 7,834

6 Claims.

This invention has to do with a pneumatic cotton handling system adapted for use in cotton picking machinery and more particularly concerns a receptacle for the picked cotton and cotton conveying and cleaning means associated therewith, this application being a substitute for our prior application Serial No. 542,774, filed June 29, 1944, now abandoned.

An object of this invention is the provision of a novel cotton receptacle cover structure having an arched grille-work against the under side of which a stream of cotton-laden air is impingeable for separating the air and trash from the cotton while directing the cotton into a desired part of the receptacle. By this arrangement the air stream is ejected with undesired debris consisting principally of plant stems and leaves, and the course of the cleaned cotton is so controlled in the receptacle that it can be completely filled without special attention of the operator.

Another object is the provision of an arched grating or grille in the roof of the receptacle for deflecting the cotton across the top thereof from one wall to an opposite wall whereby the cotton commences to fill the receptacle along said opposite wall, and the surface of repose of the cotton approaches the cotton-admittance zone near the top of the one wall as the receptacle fills.

Another object is the provision of a receptacle cover which has an opening covered by the grille and which is impervious to the ejected debris to prevent the later sifting into the receptacle.

Another object is the provision of a debris-impervious vaulted cover for the receptacle so it will automatically discharge the debris alighting thereon. 7

Another object is the provision of a receptacle which is tiltable in dumping and which has a cover member with a grille-work 'of the aforesaid character extending from the edge of the receptacle opposite to the pouring edge and including slender laterally-spaced elements extending lengthwise of the grille-work whereby, upon dumping, the grille-work has no tendency to hold onto the cotton.

The above and other desirable objects inherent in and encompassed by the invention will be better understood upon reading the ensuing description with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tractor with the preferred embodiment of the invention installed thereon;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tractor and apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a plan view of a cotton conveying 2 blower employed in the apparatus and installed below the cotton receptacle as illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5;

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the tractor and apparatus, with the receptacle in the filling position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear elevational view illustrating the receptacle in the dumping position;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the blower as illustrated by the line 6 in Figure 7;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken through the blower at the plane indicated by the line 'l---'! in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view illustrating a peripheral edge of the blower rotor and a radially slotted guard therefor, taken on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

With the view of clearly and completely illustrating the invention, it has been shown in conjunction with a complete tractor-mounted cotton picking machine. It follows that many of the parts shown are not herein claimed so those interested in the claims directed to collateral parts of the machine should refer to copending applications Serial No. 542,770, filed June 29, 1944, now Pat. No. 2,518,465, granted August 15, 1950, to Clarence R. Hagen and Louis E. Nickla; Serial No. 542,771, filed June 29, 1944, now Pat. No. 2,520,927, granted September 5, 1950 to Clarence R. Hagen; Serial No. 542,772, filed June 29, 1944, now Pat. No. 2,440,770 granted May 4, 1948, to Clarence R. Hagen, and Serial No. 542,773, filed June 29, 1944, now Pat. No. 2,401,152, granted May 28, 1946, to Clarence R. Hagen.

The tractor upon which the apparatus is herein assembled is one variety of farm tractor comprising a body In projecting forwardly from oppositely extending rear axle housings II and I2. At the front portion of the body In is the conventionally placed internal combustion engine l3 superposed by a fuel tank 14 and a hood l5. A shaft 1 6 at the front of the tractor is an extension of the engine crank shaft. Support for the front end of the tractor is provided by the usual steering truck I'I comprising a ground-engaging steering wheel 18. Support for the rear end of the tractor is provided by rear traction wheels I!) and 2| at the outer ends of the axle housings H and I2. Depending gear containing portions 22 and 23 at the outer ends of the axle housings H and I2 contain gears (not shown) which transmit driving force from axles within the housings H and 12 to the hubs of the wheels l9 and 2|, the housing portions 22 and 23 being upright so as to support the inner parts of the axle housings at an elevation to give ample clearance for the field plants.

An operators station includes an operators seat 24 suitably supported adjacently to and over the axle housing |2-that is, the one side of the tractor body I0. is directly in front of the seat 24.

A cotton-picking unit generally designated 26 is of the revolvable spindle type. This unit, which is placed at the right of the tractor body, includes a casing 21 separated from a pressure plate assembly 28 by a fore and aft extending plant receiving passage 29. Two groups, A and B, or assemblies of cotton-picking spindles are enclosed in the casing 21 in a tandem arrangement with the assembly A disposed forwardly of the assembly B. Cotton-picking assemblies A and B may be of the character fully described in United States Patent 2,140,631, so it will sufiice for the present disclosure to merely explain that the picker spindles SP of the assemblies A and B are revolved generally about axes A and B to cause their tips to follow the path indicated by the dot-dash lines a and b. It will be seen, therefore, that the picker spindles, while they are being revolved about the axes A and B, are successively projected into the plant receivin passage 29 and thereafter withdrawn from this passage. While in the passage and while rotating about their individual axes, these spindles engage and cause the cotton of ripened bolls to be wound thereabout so that upon retraction of the spindles into the casin 21, this cotton will be withdrawn from the bolls. There are several vertically spaced rows of the spindles SP so that the cotton plants disposed within the passage will be operated upon throughout the height of the passage.

The spindles SP re'volve in the direction indicated by the arrows AW, and upon arriving in registry with a group of vertically spaced doffing disks shown in dotted outline at D, the cotton is removed from the spindles by these disks and discharged into the casing 21. Subsequently, the spindles come in registry with vertically spaced moistening disks M where they are moistened prior to again being projected into the plant receiving passage. The casing 21, in addition to housing the picking spindle sets, the dofier disks and the moistening disks, also serves as an air chamber of a pneumatic system for the conduction of the picked cotton away from the picker finger assembles into a cotton receptacle 3|. Air is drawn into the casing 21 through the openings at the plant passage where the picking fingers extend outwardly into said passage, and this air laden with the cotton dofied from the spindles, leads upwardly through conduit legs 32 and 33 for ultimate delivery into the receptacle 3|. Doors 34 and 35 upon the outer side of the casing 21 pivot at their'forward ends about axes which are coaxial with the lower ends of the conduit legs 32 and 33, and these doors have short conduit necks 36 and 31 pivotable within the conduit legs to facilitate opening and closing of the doors. Access is thereby easily had to the picker spindles, the dofiing apparatus and the spindle moistening apparatus from the outer side of the picking unit 26.

The tractor steering wheel 25 That side of the plant receiving passage 29 opposite to the casing 21 is formed by plant pressing plates 38, 39 and 49 which are yieldably held into the positions illustrated so that they may be displaced toward the tractor engine when pressed upon by a profuse plant growth occupying the passage 29. The pressure plate assembly 28 is supported from the chamber 21 by a horizontal rod 4| at the upper forward end of the passage 29 and by a passage covering plate 42 at the rear end of the passage in registry with the rear picker spindle assembly B.

A plant lifting device 5| is attached to the forward end of the unit 26 for raising the lowermost stems of the plants off of the ground to a sufficient height for passing through the lower ones of the picking spindles SP. The device 5| comprises backwardly inclined rods 52 having ground-engaging runners 53 attached to their front ends.

Support for the picking unit 26 is provided by a frame 55 comprising a generally L-shaped frame member 56 having a fore and aft extending leg 51 and a laterally turned le 58 having a juncture 59. A strut member 6| is arranged generally parallel with the leg 58 and connects with the frame member 55 adjacently to the juncture 59 where the member 6| extends through an aperture (not shown) in the le 51 of the frame member 56. A welded connection 62 is provided between the members 6| and 56. The rear part of the leg 51 is supported upon the tractor axle housing l2 by a plate 63 to which the member 51 is secured by any standard means 63 in Fig. l. A footing plate 64 is welded or otherwise secured to the free ends of the members 58 and 6|, and this plate 64 is adapted to be secured to the tractor body III by means of capscrews 65 which are screwed into bosses or pads 66 and 61 provided upon said body Ill.

The outer end of the strut 6| extending through the frame leg 51 extends into and provides a bearing spindle for thehub 66 of a bell-crank 69, which has a pair of laterally spaced horizontal arms 1| and 12 and an upright arm 13. The forward ends of the arms 1| and 12 mutually support the upper end of a linkage 14 which is suitably attached to the picking unit. By pivoting the bell-crank 69, the outer end of the arms 1| and 12 can be raised or lowered for changing the elevation of the picking unit which is suspended therefrom through the link 14. Pivoting of the bell-crank 69 is effected manually through a lever 15 having its lower end attached to the hub of the bell-crank and operable over a quadrant 10, Fig. 2, for retaining a selected height of the picking unit. The upwardly projecting arm of the bell-crank is operated upon by the counterbalancing spring assembly 16, which is adjustably connected to a bracket 11 on the back end of the frame leg 51 by a threaded rod 18 and a nut 19.

The drive for the picking unit 26, fully disclosed in application Serial No. 542,770 includes chain means within a transverse casing 8| at the rear of the tractor. This chain means is driven by a power take-oil" shaft (not shown) extending rearwardly through the body In of the tractor and drives sprocket means (not shown) within the casing 8| and upon the back end of a shaft 89. Shaft 89 is drivingly connected with gearing within a casing 98 upon the picking unit 26 by a universal joint 95, a drive shaft 96, and a second universal joint 91.

In addition to the air chamber 21 of the picking unit 26 and the conduits 32 and 33 herein above described, the cotton conveying system includes a blower supported upon the tractor beneath the cotton receptacle 3 This blower has a horizontal inlet I I2 through which air and cotton are sucked from the picking unit 26 through the conduit legs 32 and 33, Fig. l, thence through a conduit 3 with which these legs 32 and 33 are confluent, and thence through a curved conduit H4. Conduit II3 extends rearwardly and upwardly over the right rear wheel of the tractor as well as over the rear axle housing structure I2, and the conduit II4 then connecting with the conduit H3 at a flexible joint II5 extends transversely across the rear of the tractor to the horizontal fan inlet H2. The conduit II3 also has a flexible joint II6 which cooperates with the joint H5 in articulating the conduit system so that it facilitates vertical adjustment or movement of the picking unit.

The fan outlet 1, Figs. 4 and 7, extends vertically for connection with an upwardly extending spout I I8 through which the air and cotton are discharged into the upper part of the receptacle 3I.

A bladed rotor I2I oi the fan is mounted upon a shaft I25 journaled within a bearing I26 in the front wall of the rotor casing. Driving force for the fan rotor is obtained from a pulley I 4|, Fig. 2, fixed rotatively to the front end extension of the engine crank-shaft, a belt I42 drivingly connecting the pulley I with a pulley I43 upon the front end of a shaft I44 journaled within a bearing I45 supported upon a bracket I46 attached to the tractor engine. A universal joint I41 connects the back end of shaft I44 with a long shaft I48 of which the back end is connected directly with the blower rotor shaft I25 through a universal joint I 48a; see Fig. 3.

Air and cotton enter the main part of the blower casing through a vestibule I22, the main part of the casing comprising a cylindrical wall II9 circumferentially about and radially spaced from a bladed rotor I2I. This rotor is fixed for rotation with a shaft I25 rotatable within a bearing I26 carried within the front wall of the blower casing. As seen in Fig. 7, the rotor comprises six impeller blades I28 extending radially from the shaft I25.

In the operation of the blower, the rotating rotor discharges air centrifugally against the cylindrical wall II9, the rotation of the fan being counter-clockwise as viewed from the rear in Fig. 7 so that this discharged air is impelled tangentially upwardly from the casing through the vertical outlet I H. The air thus discharged from the space between the fan blades I28 is replaced by air forced by the atmosphere inwardly through the cotton picker unit casing 21, where the spindles project into passage 29. The casing 21 therefore serves as an air chamber, and the cotton picked by the spindles and carried into this chamber, where it is doffed by the dofiing mechanism D is carried upwardly by the air conduit legs 33. The air thus forced into the casing and air chamber 21 of the picking unit, laden with the picked cotton, after passing up into the legs 32 and 33 passes backwardly into the conduit I I 3 and thence through the conduit II4 into the blower inlet. Inlet H2 is arranged transversely of the axis of the rotor I2I whereby the inertia of the cotton has a tendency to cause this cotton to impinge against a deflector wall II2a and thenceto move radially of the rotor and conical guard, through an opening I23 in the rear wall of the main part of the casing, and thenc onto the cylindrical wall I I9 without engaging or being struck by the fan blades.

In Fig. 2. the roof of the hopper 3| can be seen to comprise a vaulted cover member I5I having an opening I52 extending thereacross from its inner edge to its outer edge. The roof or cover member I5I also comprises a hood I53 projecting over the upper inner edge of the recep- 6 tacle. The opening I52 is covered by a grille I54 which consists of a series of grate units each having a series of laterally spaced elements I55 extending lengthwise across the opening from its inner side to its outer side; One of these grate elements is formed in the hood I 53 and therefore has curved elements I55. It is the purpose of the grille I54 to dissipate the air which is discharged upwardly through the spout II8 together with debris, such as sticks, twigs, stems andthe like. drawn into the pneumatic system from the plants within the passage 28 in the picking unit, while the receptacle.

at the same time retaining the cottonwithin To better enable the grille I54 to separate the debris from the seed cotton, it is desirable that this grille shall be made wide so that the cotton can be spread over the grille in a thin sheet and thereby decrease the thick ness of this sheet through which the debris must be passed prior to reaching the grille for ejection therethrough. Forming the cotton-laden air stream into a thin layer for introduction onto the under side of the grid I54 is accomplished by the spout II8. This spout, as viewed in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, has substantially a square horizontal section at its bottom end, and as it rises it decreases in thickness laterally of the receptacle side wall along which it extends and increases in width lengthwise of the receptacle side wall until the upper end of the spout has a major axis aa running parallel to the adjacent upper edge of the receptacle and a short minor axis a'a' normal to the adjacent receptacle edge. In Fig. 2 where the upper end of the spout H8 is shown in dotted lines. it can be seen that the cotton discharged from this upper end of the spout will issue in a thin layer against the under side of the grille and thereby improve the opportunity for foreign particles to be separated from the cotton and conducted outwardly between the grille elements I55 by the air stream.

The receptacle 3| is supported upon a standard structure consisting of a pair'of fore and aft spaced, generally upright angle members I6I and I62. The base frame for the hopper supporting structure comprises a pair of backwardly extending plates I63 and I 64, Figs. 1 and 4, attached to the rear axle housing I I. The frame member I64 has a vertical dimension considerably in excess of the plate or member I63 and is attached to a dcpending axle housing portion 22 as well as to the horizontal axle housing I I. The back ends of the plate-like members I63 and I64 are connected by a cross-plate I65. The member I65 is welded to the members I63 and I64. There is also a welded connection between the vertical and lower end portions of the standards I6I and I62 and the outer side of the base frame member I64. Brace members I60, of which one is shown in Fig. 4, respectively connect mid-sections of the standard members IBI and I62 with the base member I63 through welded connections therewith. The standard structure, consisting of the uprights NH and I62 and the frame therefor consisting of the parts I63, I64, and I65, is attachable and detachable as a unit to and from the left rear axle housing of the tractor.

The basket part of the receptacle 3| comprises a rectangular frame I66 extending about its upper edge. From the front and rear ends of this frame I66 there depend front and back walls I61 and I66 of open mesh sheet material, which in the present instance is woven from steel wire. These walls I61 and I68 are curved toward one another at their lower edge and at their opposite upwardly extending edges, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Theouter and inner walls I69 and HI of the basket part of the receptacle are connected with the cupped edges of the end walls at U-shaped reinforcing connecting bands I12 and I13 of steel, and which bands depend from the rectangular frame member I66 bounding the upper edge or brim of the basket. These outer and inner walls I69 and I'll and the intermediate bottom wall portion I are formed with a sectional contour transversely of the tractor that is somewhat parabolic in form. The piece of smooth solid 'metal sheeting forms the wall I69 while the bottom wall I1I and the inner wall I1I are formed of wire mesh similarly to the end walls I61 and I68.

Opposite end plates I14 (of which one is shown in Fig. 4) depend from the frame member I66 at the upper outer portions of the basket, and these end plates are journaled upon opposite ends of a rod I15carried in the standard uprights I6I and I62. This pivotal connection between the basket and the upper ends of the standard members I6I and I62 normally supports the basket in the position illustrated in Fig. 4, with a bottom portion thereof resting upon'the footing braces I68 for said standard members, while permitting the basket to be pivoted counter-clockwise from the Fig. 4 position to a dumping position illustrated in Fig. 5.

Dumpin of the receptacle is brought about by a hydraulic ram or motor I11 comprising a cylinder I18 having its lower end pivotally connected to a channel cross-piece I19 anchored to the lower ends of the standard uprights I6I and I62 and a piston rod I8I pivotally connected with the outer wall of the receptacle by means of a pin I82 anchored within a pair of fore and aft reenforcing plates I83, which are secured to the outer wall of the basket. When fluid is introduced into the lower end of the cylinder I18, a piston therein (not shown) will be forced upwardlyand thereby will force the piston rod I8I upwardly for pivoting the basket into the dumping position. Normally relaxed helical springs I84 (one being shown in Figs. 4 and 5) connected between the standards I6I and I62 and the basket, become distended when the receptacle approaches a poised position and continue to be distended when the basket reaches the over-center dumping position illustrated in solid lines, whereby these springs cause the receptacle to r pivot clockwise from the dumping position toward the fiillng position when fluid is allowed to escape from the lower end of the motor cylinder I18. These springs continue to act upon the receptacle after it has passed the over-center position when returning to the filling position so as to accelerate the return of the basket and thereby minimize the time required for dumpin Fluid for operating the dumping motor I11 is obtained from a gear pump I85, Fig. 4, secured onto the back end of the housing 8| and driven by the back end of the shaft 88 extending through the differential housing 82 of the tractor. Oil is pumped by the pump I85 from a reservoir formed in the bottom of the casing 8|. This oil as it is discharged from the pump is controlled by a valve I86 having a manually opera ble control lever I81. When the lever I81 is in the upright position illustrated in Fig. 4, the pump discharge is directed through the valve I86 back to the reservoir or sump in the casing 8|.

When the control lever I81 is pivoted counter- 8 clockwise, as viewed from the rear, the output of oil from the pump I85 is directed into the lower end of the motor I18 through an outlet coupling I88 and a hose (not shown). After the receptacle has been raised, the lever I81 will be moved clockwise back to its upright position where the valve will permit the pump I85 to bypass but will prevent exhaust of fluid from the motor so that the receptacle can be retained in the dumping position as long as desired. Return of the receptacle to the filling position is initiated by movement of the lever I81 clockwise, a viewed in Fig. 4, to a position beyond the upright position there illustrated. This allows the motor to drain, and after the receptacle has reached the filling position, the lever I81 will be returned to the neutral position of Fig. 4.

A linkage is provided for causing the cover I5I of the receptacle to pivot about hinges I89 connecting the inner edge of this cover member with the basket brim, when the receptacle is pivoted to the dumping position. When so pivoted, the cover member is opened with respect to the basket so that the cotton is readily dumpable from the basket into a wagon box, or the like, which may be driven up alongside of the machine. The linkage for opening the cover I5I includes double-legged brackets I9I secured to opposite ends of the cover member and links I92 respectively pivotally attached to ears I93 on these brackets I9I and having a sliding connection with respective pins I94 pivotally anchored in arms I95 which are fixed to opposite ends of the non-rotatable rod I15. These links I92 have head I96 on their outer ends for abutment with the pivotal pins I94, as illustrated in Fig. 5, prior to the receptacle reaching the dumping position. Continued counter-clockwise movement of the receptacle, as viewed in Fig. 5, shortly prior to reaching the dumping position and after the links I92 can move no farther upwardly, will cause the links to pull downwardly on the ears I93 and the brackets I9I for causing the cover member to pivot about the pivot pins of its hinges I89 into the opened position. When the receptacle is returned toward the filling position, the links I92 will slide downwardly into the holes therefor in the pins I94, permittin the coverto close upon the top of the receptacle by the force of gravity.

The cover I5I for the basket part of the receptacle 3I is arched between its inner and outer edges and is constructed of debris-impervious sheets I91 and I98 upon opposite sides of the opening I52 formed between these sheets. An arched grille I54 covers this opening, said grille being composed of a plurality of units each consisting of a transverse member I99 havin transversely spaced longitudinal elements I55 extending therefrom. The elements I55 extend from each of their associated transverse members I99 toward the outer wall of the receptacle, the wall disposed uppermost in Fig. 2, the free end of each group of elements I55 extending adjacently to and slightly beneath the transverse element I99 of the unit next adjacent thereto in a direction toward the outer wall of the receptacle. Each of the transverse members I99 is hollow to enable it to receive a rod which extends through upright flanges 20I of the angle pieces 202 extending along the opposite edges of the opening I52. One end of the rods extending through the transverse members I99 has a faceted head 283, and the opposite end of each rod is threaded to receive a nut 204.

One of the grid units has its transverse memher I99 disposed at the lower end of a hooded portion of the grille which projects outwardly from the inner edge of the basket, and the spaced grille elements I55 projecting from this particular'transverse member are curves as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5.

elements I55, while the cotton is deflected across the top of the receptacle along the under surfaces of the grille units. During this traversal by the thin layer of cotton across the upper side of the receptacle, part of the air continues to be dissipated through the grille and to carry pieces of foreign. material therewith. Particularly because of the momentum of the cotton and because of the air movement across the top of the receptacle, the cotton is caused to be carried to a position adjacently to the upper edge of the outer receptacle wall. This cotton then drops into the lower part of the receptacle but first fills the receptacle within the bottom and along the outer wall, and as the filling process continues, the surface of repose of the cotton will gradually approach the inner part of the receptacle, which part is the last to be filled, whereby the receptacle becomes completely filled without attention of the operator.

There are several factors which improve the dumping ability of the receptacle. One of these features is the arrangement of the longitudinal grille elements I55 so that their free ends are projected away from the hinged edge of the cover member I5I so that any cotton falling from the receptacle against the under side of the grille during the dumping operation will have no tendency to cling to the grille. In other words, the top or cover member of the receptacle itself dumps any cotton that may be therein due to the receptacle being filled to an extent that the cotton is heaped therein or falls against the under side of the grille when the receptacle is dumped.

Another feature that facilitates dumping is the parabolic transverse section through the inner and outer walls and the bottom wall. Because of this curved contour of these walls of the receptacle, the cotton which first falls away from the upper part of the inner wall as the dumping of the cotton actually commences, tends to pull other cotton with it so that there is a progressive rolling away of the cotton from the inner wall (upper when the receptacle is in the dumping position) toward the bottom of said wall and the bottom of the receptacle.

Another feature which improves the dumping characteristics of the receptacle is the use of a smooth sheet in forming the receptacle outer wall I69. Any cotton resting upon this sheet will more readily slide from the receptacle while the latter is in the dumping position. The receptacle is made as light in weight as possible, however, by employing the mesh-woven wire side walls for the most part.

While the center part of the cover member is formed with an opening covered by the grille I54, the ends I91 and I98 of the cover member at the sides of the opening are made of material such as sheet metal though which the dust and and dirt and small stems discharged with the air blast through the grille cannot pass through for return back into the receptacle subsequent to discharge through the grille. During operation of the machine, these particles of debris can be seen to gravitate toward the edges of the domeshaped cover member and to fall away in the atmosphere where they are sometimes swept away by wind. In earlier machines where the top of the receptacle was made perfectly flat, there was such an accumulation of foreign particles upon the top about the air-blast discharge opening that before dumping the cotton it was necessary for the operator to employ a broom for sweeping these particles away from the top so they would not be dumped with the cotton into gheledvehicle for conveying the cotton from the Having thus disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, we claimz 1. In a cotton picking apparatus, a receptacle supporting structure, a cotton receptacle having an upper open side, means tiltably mounting the receptacle on said structure to dump through such open side when tilted, an openable cover closing the receptacle open side, an open-bottom hood mounted on said cover and projecting out wardly over an upper edge portion of the receptacle and being communicative therewith, there being an opening in the top of the hood and in the cover and reaching from a top portion of the hood across a substantial portion of the cover, and an arched grille bridging said opening in a direction lengthwise thereof, said grille comprising slender laterally spaced elements extending lengthwise of the arch, the bottom opening in said hood being adapted for the reception of a cotton laden air stream directed upwardly exteriorly of the receptacle against the end of the grille in the top of the hood, means for elevating said edge portion of the receptacle and the hood pursuant to tilting the recptacle, and the curvature in the arch of said grille being such as to cause it to deflect the cotton from said air stream across the receptacle to the other side thereof while the air stream discharges through the grille upwardly and outwardly of the hood and receptacle incident to carrying foreign particles therewith.

2. In a cotton picking apparatus, receptacle supporting structure, a cotton receptacle having an open upper side, means tiltably mounting the receptacle on said structure to dump through such open side when tilted, an openable vaulted debris-impervious cover structure for the open upper side of said receptacle, saidcover structure having an opening adjacent to the upper edge of one upright side of the receptacle and reaching toward the opposite upright side, a grille structure within said opening and having an end portion projecting over and beyond said one side of the receptacle for impingement on its under side by a cotton-laden air stream directed upwardly adjacently to the exterior of said one receptacle side, said grille functioning to pass air and debris from said stream upwardly outwardly of the receptacle while precluding such passage of the cotton, the grille having an arched contour generally conforming to the vaulted cover structure to deflect and direct the impinging cotton toward the upper part of the opposite side of the receptacle, and means for elevating said one side of the receptacle together with the upper edge thereof and said projecting end portion of the grille structure pursuant to tilting the receptacle.

' side and having a width at least equal to onethird the distance between the other two receptacle sides, a grille structure within said opening and having a portion projecting outwardly beyond the upper edge of said one receptacle side in position for impingementon its under side by a cotton-laden air stream directed upwardly alongside the exterior of the one receptacle side,

said grille functioning to pass air and debris from said stream upwardly and outwardly of the receptacle while precluding such passage of the cotton, the grille having an arched contour generally conforming to the vaulted cover structure to deflect and direct the impinging cotton toward the upper part of the opposite side of the receptacle, and means for elevating said one receptacle side together with the upper edge thereof and the grille portion projecting outwardly therebeyond pursuant to tilting.

4. In a vehicular cotton picking apparatus, a standard for supporting a cotton receptacle on the vehicle in an elevated position, a cotton receptacle having opposed side walls, means supporting the receptacle on said standard for tilting movement to place one of said walls in an elevated position relatively to the other incident to dumping the cotton over a dumping edge which is normally the upper edge of said other wall, a debris-impervious vaulted cover structure for the receptacle, said cover structure having an opening adjacently to the one wall and reaching toward the other wall, a grille structure covering said opening and arched to project upwardly from a position on the exterior Side of the one wall and across said opening generally toward the other wall, an upwardly projecting portion of said grille exteriorly of the one wall being for impingement by a stream of cotton-laden air directed upwardly adjacent the exterior side of the one wall, said grille functioning to exhaust the air stream and debris from the receptacle while deflecting the cotton adjacently under the cover structure toward the upper side of the other wall, means for elevating the one wall of the receptacle and said upwardly projecting portion of the grille structure pursuant to tilting the receptacle, and means tiltably associating the cover structure with the receptacle to facilitate separation of the cover structure from said dumping edge of said other wall to provide clearance for dumping the cotton while the receptacle is tilted.

5. In a cotton picking apparatus, a receptacle supporting structure, a cotton receptacle having a top opening bounded by upper edges of downwardly extending reticulated walls and a pouring wall, such receptacle being tiltably mounted on said structure for discharging its contents over the upper edge of the pouring wall, a vaulted openable cover structure for the top opening of said receptacle, said cover structure having an opening extending crosswise of the receptacle toward the pouring wall from a position adjacent the upper edge of a receptacle wall opposite to said pouring wall, and an arched grille spanning said opening along a line extending between the pouring wall and said opposite wall, said grille comprising slender laterally spaced elements extending lengthwise of the arch, a grille portion adjacently to said opposite wall being for impingement by a cotton-laden air stream directed upwardly against its under side, said arch being constructed with a curvature arrangement for deflecting the cotton across thereceptacle to an upper portion of the pouring wall while the air stream and foreign particles are discharged outwardly through the grille, and means for elevating said opposite wall and the grille portion adjacently thereto pursuant to tilting the receptacle, and said pouring wall being formed with an inner surface which is smooth relatively to said reticulated walls to facilitate sliding of the cotton thereon while the receptacle is tilted.

6. In a vehicular cotton picking apparatus, a standard for supporting a cotton receptacle on the vehicle in an elevated position, a cotton receptacle having a pouring wall and additional walls of which one is opposite to said pouring wall and of which at least part of at least one is reticulated, means supporting the receptacle on said standard for tilting movement to place said opposite wall in an elevated position relatively to the pouring wall incident to discharging the cotton over a dumping edge which is normally the upper edge 'of said pouring wall, avaulted debris-impervious cover structure for the receptacle, said cover structure having an opening adjacently to said opposite wall and reaching toward the pouring wall, a grille structure covering said opening and arched to project upwardly from said opposite wall and across said opening generally toward the pouring wall, the upwardly projecting portion of said grille being adapted for impingement by an upwardly directed stream of cotton-laden air, said grille serving to exhaust air and debris of said stream from the receptacle while deflecting the cotton adjacently to the cover structure onto an upper portion of the pouring wall, and means tiltably associating the cover structure with the receptacle to facilitate separation of the cover structure from the dumping edge of the pouring wall to provide clearance for dis charging the cotton while the receptacle is tilted, and means for elevating said opposite wall and the grille portion projecting upwardly therefrom pursuant to tilting the receptacle, and said pouring wall being formed with an inner surface which is smooth relatively to said reticulated part of said Walls to facilitate sliding of the cotton thereon as it is discharged while the receptacle is tilted.

CLARENCE R. HAGEN. DAVID B. BAKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 759,151 Bene'field May 3, 1904 1,146,066 Haney et a1. July 13, 1915 1,887,831 Willett et a1 Nov. 15, 1932 1,985,373 Johnston Dec. 25, 1934 2,234,599 Johnston Mar. 11, 1941 2,401,152 Hagen May 28, 1946 2,440,770 Hagen May 4, 1948 

